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Ed Hardy - page 66

Mac shipments return to growth but Windows keeps plunging

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2023 MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro
People are buying more Macs even as Windows shipments slide.
Photo: Apple

Apple is once again the lone bright spot in the global PC industry. Mac shipments grew by double digits year over year while makers of Windows machines all saw their shipments decline, according to a market research firm.

Mac’s return to growth in Q2 must be a relief to CEO Tim Cook as Q1 shipments were down dramatically.

Latest mophie powerstation more than doubles iPhone battery life [Review] ★★★★☆

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mophie powerstation (2023) review★★★★☆
This relatively inexpensive power bank from movie can add days of use to your devices.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The 2023 version of the mophie powerstation packs in 10,000 mAh and a trio of USB ports to charge your Apple or Android devices. It can keep an iPhone 14 going for a weekend, or give a boost to a MacBook or iPad.

I put the external battery to through testing to see how well it stands up to real-world use.

Apple withdraws latest iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response patches

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How to install the new iOS and macOS Rapid Security Response
This Rapid Security Response patch is no longer available.
Image: Cult of Mac

The Rapid Security Response patches released Monday for iOS 16.5.1, macOS Ventura 13.4.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1 have been pulled back by Apple. They made changes to WebKit, and reportedly were causing problems with some websites.

This isn’t ideal, as they were introduced to close a security hole that has been exploited by hackers.

Funny new Apple ad highlights long, long battery life of iPhone 14 Plus

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Funny new Apple ad highlights long, long battery life of iPhone 14 Plus
This guy has all day to listen to his favorite rappers on his iPhone 14 Plus.
Screenshot: Apple

Battery for Miles, a just-released advert for Apple, stars an elderly farmer driving a tractor and listening to Ludacris on his iPhone … as one does. He’s many hours from his destination but he doesn’t care — his iPhone 14 Plus has all the battery life he needs.

Apple also premiered Crash Test to advertise the iPhone’s Crash Detection feature.

Trailer for Ridley Scott’s action epic Napoleon tracks ruthless rise of a conqueror

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‘Napoleon’ on Apple TV+
Napoleon is a spectacle-filled action epic that details the rise and fall of the iconic French emperor.
Graphic: Apple TV+

Apple TV+ just gave us the first real look at Ridley Scott’s upcoming biopic about Napoleon Bonaparte. The Napoleon trailer dropped Monday, showing Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor setting out to conquer Europe.

The film tells the story of Napoleon’s ruthless rise to power and his obsessive love for his wife, Empress Josephine.

Much-anticipated 32-inch iMac is still over a year away

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24-inch iMac with M1 processor released in 2021
The excitement over a 32-inch iMac is a bit premature.
Photo: Apple

A recent report that Apple is developing an iMac with a screen larger than 30 inches generated a lot of buzz, but a new leak indicates that development of the all-in-one desktop is still in the early stages. It supposedly won‘t reach customers for over a year.

And the launch of a smaller iMac with an M3 Apple processor has reportedly been pushed back.

OLED iPad almost certainly coming in 2024

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Here's more proof iPad will get gorgeous OLED screens
An iPad with a beautiful OLED display should be out in under a year.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple will upgrade the next iPad Pro with an OLED display in 2024, according to a market research firm. This is the latest in a long series of reports indicating that these top-tier tablets are moving beyond traditional LED screens.

However, the same source indicates that the first MacBook with OLED won‘t be out before 2027.

Idris Elba’s star power pulls in big audience for Hijack on Apple TV+

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Elba looks tense here for a reason. He's got big problems to solve.
Elba looks tense here for a reason. He's got big problems to solve.
Photo: Apple TV+

Hijack, a new thriller starring Idris Elba, quickly rose to near the top of the rating charts showing it’s among the most popular shows on any streaming service.

And it’s not the only stand-out Apple TV+ series right now — Silo also continues to draw a large audience.

Lucha libre legend takes on villainous piñata in ‘Shot on iPhone’ film

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Lucha Libre legend takes on villainous piñata in ‘Shot on iPhone’ film
A hilarious short film demonstrates the power of the iPhone 14 Pro camera.
Photo: Apple

A short film commissioned by Apple demonstrates that the iPhone 14 Pro can be used to make a movie. In this case, a short action comedy called Huracán Ramírez vs. La Piñata Enchilada.

Apple also released a “making of” video to show how the film was made with an iPhone 14 Pro.

Spotify kicks out subscribers paying through Apple’s App Store

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Spotify logo on iPhone
Spotify is making sure it doesn’t pay Apple anything it doesn’t absolutely have to.
Photo: Cult of Mac

All Spotify subscribers who’ve been paying for the music streaming service through the App Store are being switched to a free, ad-supported plan whether they want to or not.

Those who wish can switch back to a for-pay plan, but can not pay for it through Apple’s app payment system.

New Foundation season 2 trailer shows a galaxy ready for war

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'Foundation' season 2 on Apple TV+
The epic saga Foundation will return to Apple TV+ for season 2 in July 2023.
Graphic: Apple TV+

The Galactic Empire and the Foundation prepare for massive conflict in a new trailer for Apple TV+ show Foundation, with the sci-fi series’ gorgeous special effects and cinematography very much on display.

Foundation season two premieres July 14. So now’s the time to watch the epic trailer Apple released Thursday — or get caught up on season one.

Add fun to your vacation with this brilliant pico projector [Review] ★★★★☆

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Add fun to your vacation with this amazingly small pico projector★★★★☆
The EZCast Beam J4a pico projector goes anywhere and works brilliantly with Mac or iPad.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With the EZCast Beam J4a, you can carry a big-screen TV everywhere you go. The pico projector is amazingly small, but is ready to show movies, games or presentations wherever you need it to. Just plug it into your Mac or iPad.

I love this thing. Absolutely freaking love it. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Read on to see what I mean.

iPhone 15 Pro Max could get a price increase

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iPhone 15 Concept
The iPhone 15 Pro Max could cost more than its predecessor.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost more than last year’s equivalent version, according to an analyst. If true, this will be the first time the largest and most powerful of Apple’s flagship handsets has seen a price change since 2019.

The analyst also predicts the entire iPhone 15 series will go into production in August. The four new models are expected to launch in September.

Meta’s new Threads app kicks Twitter while it’s down

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Meta’s new Threads app kicks Twitter while it’s down
Threads sure looks a lot like Twitter.
Image Meta

Meta just launched Threads, a new text-based social networking service that goes head-to-head with Twitter. Meta’s Facebook and Instagram have always competed with Twitter, of course, but Threads does so directly. The two apps are nearly identical.

Twitter has struggled since being acquired by Elon Musk in 2022, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg clearly sees an opportunity to supplant it.

Apple reminds us that iPad Pro does augmented reality, too

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Apple reminds us that iPad Pro does augmented reality too
Deep Field transforms kids’ drawings to 3D with AR and iPad.
Photo: Apple

With all the buzz about its upcoming Vision Pro augmented-reality headset, Apple sent out a reminder that iPad Pro also has AR capabilities. The tablet powers Deep Field, an application that lets children use an Apple Pencil to draw plants inspired by works of art, and have their creations rendered into 3D via the magic of augmented reality.

Apple TV+ has a lot more subscribers than you might realize

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Apple TV app lands on PlayStation
It’s time to stop thinking of Apple TV+ as a tiny part of the streaming business.
Photo: Apple

The number of Apple TV+ subscribers has more than tripled in the past two years, according to data from a market-analysis firm.

Apple’s streaming service now sits in the middle of the pack in the battle against competitors like Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.

Budget-friendly 15.6-inch external screen makes you more productive wherever you go [Review] ★★★

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Arzopa Portable Monitor A1C review★★★
The Arzopa Portable Monitor A1C (shown here with a simulated screen) offers more room to work at a very attractive price.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Arzopa Portable Monitor A1C is a 15.6-inch, 1080P monitor ready to be connected to a Mac, iPad or gaming device over USB-C or HDMI. Given its relatively low price, the screen is one of the better options available for those on a tight budget.

It’s currently available at a price below $100, which is significantly lower than the cost of rival products.

I tested the portable display in my home office and on a recent vacation. Here’s what I found.

Covering Apple Vision Pro with 18K gold raises price to a mere $39,000

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Caviar version of Apple Vision Pro
A version of Apple Vision Pro with gold and leather trim will go on sale in 2024.
Photo: Caviar

For anyone who looked at the $3,500 price on the Apple Vision Pro and thought “that is so cheap,” Caviar has a version that’s over ten times as expensive. This specially modified AR headset is plated in gold and has a leather head strap.

Caviar even modified the design to make wearing the device a bit more private.

Goldman Sachs wants out of Apple Card after massive losses

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Making Apple Card payments is as simple as its design.
Apple Card hasn’t been profitable for the bank that backs the credit card.
Photo: Apple

Goldman Sachs reportedly wants out of a partnership with Apple that has the bank backing the Apple Card and other financial services. It’s not hard to guess why: recent filings from the bank indicate it has lost at least $1 billion on the deal.

It’s supposedly looking to hand the business off to another megabank.

Apple moves 12-inch MacBook onto its ‘obsolete’ list

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12-inch MacBook lineup
Apple doesn’t make MacBooks this small any more.
Photo: Apple

The original 12-inch MacBook released in 2015 has been added to Apple’s list of “obsolete” machines. Despite what the word implies, this doesn’t mean the notebook just became useless. But it will now be much harder to get one of these laptops serviced.

Apple labels products as obsolete seven years after it stops selling them.

Apple passes $3 trillion mark cap … again

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Apple money cash
The total value of all AAPL shares passed the $3 trillion mark.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple is once again worth a whopping $3 trillion. Hitting this market capitalization milestone reflects what an amazing 2023 the company is having, considering its market cap dropped below $2 trillion at the beginning of the year.

The company previously surpassed the triple-trillion mark 18 months ago.

Brydge iPad keyboards return from the grave

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Brydge 11 Max+ keyboard case is built for hardcore iPad Pro users
Brydge Max+ is solid competition for the Apple Magic Keyboard case. And it’s not being discontinued.
Photo: Brydge

The company that made the Brydge line of innovative iPad keyboards collapsed earlier this year, but a deal announced Thursday will return its products to the market.

Uinta Products is a new company with many former Brydge employees — and the rights to make Brydge-branded products.

Belkin makes the USB-C hub we’ve been waiting for [Review] ★★★★

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Belkin makes the USB-C hub we’ve been waiting for [Review]★★★★
Belkin’s affordable USB-C hub offers four high-speed ports and can charge your devices, too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Belkin Connect 4-Port USB-C Hub seems like a simple product, but it’s something we’ve had to wait years to finally get. It’s a simple, inexpensive hub that turns one USB-C port into four that can provide high-speed data transfers while also powering a MacBook or iPad.

I put the device to the test in my home office. I lives up to just about all my expectations. Here’s why.